Coupling system for a rail vehicle

ABSTRACT

Described is a coupling system for a rail vehicle, comprising a coupler with a coupler housing, a contact carrier structure attached to the coupler housing, and a plurality of contacts which are mounted on the contact carrier structure and which each have one of a plurality of different functions. The contact carrier structure may be assembled from several separate contact carrier inserts. On each of the separate contact carrier inserts, from the plurality of contacts only those which have the same function are mounted.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a National Phase application of International Application No. PCT/EP2019/065024, filed Jun. 7, 2019, which claims the benefit of German Application 10 2018 113 776.1, filed on Jun. 8, 2018, both of which are incorporated herein in their entireties.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The invention relates to a coupling system for a rail vehicle, comprising an electric coupler with a coupler housing, a contact carrier structure attached to the coupler housing and a plurality of contacts which are mounted on the contact carrier structure and which each have one of a plurality of different functions.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION

Electric or optical couplers are used for signal and power transmission in rail vehicles. Such a coupler is often delivered with automatic or semi-automatic central buffer couplings. The latter enable the coupling and uncoupling of two or more motor train units to a train without the need for additional operating staff.

FIG. 1 shows an example of an electric coupler 10 which is part of a coupling system that is, at present, sold by the applicant itself In addition to the electric coupler 10, this coupling system comprises one or more manual connectors which are not illustrated in FIG. 1 and which are connected to the coupler 10 via protective tubes.

The electric coupler 10 has a coupler housing 12 which is substantially formed from a housing body 14 and a lid 16. When coupling, the lid 16 is automatically pivoted relative to the housing body 14 such that it exposes a contact carrier structure 20 attached to the front side of the housing body 14. When decoupling, the lid 16 automatically closes and covers the contact carrier structure 20. A spring arrangement 18 ensures that the lid 16 is fixed in its open position in the coupled state and is fixed in its closed position in the decoupled state.

According to FIG. 2, which illustrates the contact carrier structure 20 once again alone, the contact carrier structure 20 is formed from a one-piece insulating body 21, on which a plurality of electric contacts 22 a, 22 b, 24 a, 24 b, 26 a, 26 b and 28 a, 28 b are mounted. By the afore-mentioned electric contacts, with which the one-piece contact carrier structure 21 is equipped, different transmission functions are realized. Thus, the contacts identified with the reference signs 22 a, 22 b are used for the digital data transmission, while the electric contacts 24 a, 24 b are provided for a high-frequency signal transmission, the contacts 26 a, 26 b are provided for a low-frequency signal transmission, and the electric contacts 28 a, 28 b are provided for an energy transmission, i.e. electric power transmission. Since the electric contacts are used for different transmission purposes, they also differ from one other constructionally. This is directly visible in FIG. 2 for the contacts 22 a, 22 b and 28 a, 28 b. The same, however, also applies to the contacts 24 a, 24 b and 26 a, 26 b. For example, the contacts 24 a, 24 b used for the high-frequency signal transmission are designed as gold-coated contacts, and the contacts 26 a, 26 b used for the low-frequency signal transmission are designed as silver-coated contacts.

As can further be taken from the illustration of FIG. 2, the contacts mounted on the contact carrier structure 20 form a quasi-mirror-symmetric contact arrangement with respect to a central axis of symmetry X dividing the contact carrier structure 20 into two halves. Here, the contacts 22 a, 24 a, 26 a, 28 a arranged in the left half of the contact carrier structure 20 in FIG. 2 are designed as plug contacts, while the contacts 22 b, 24 b, 26 b, 28 b arranged in the right half of the contact carrier structure 20 are designed as socket contacts. In the present technical context, the left and the right side of the contact carrier structure 20 are also referred to as cone side and funnel side, respectively. The mirror-symmetric contact arrangement takes into account the circumstance that the electric coupler 20 shall enable a coupling in opposite directions.

A conventional electric coupler of the type illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2 always represents a customer-specific unit. This means that, depending on the present customer requirement, the coupler has to be newly constructed and manufactured in a project-specific manner. Since every coupler is a unique specimen, this results in long delivery times. These are in particular due to a plurality of interaction loops in the mechanical and electrical tuning and the comprehensive release procedure. Further, at the customer, e.g. a vehicle manufacturer, a complex project planning and an elaborate change management are required. In addition, high demands are made on the documentation.

It is the object of the present invention to specify a coupling system for a rail vehicle as well as a method for its production, which enable a considerable reduction of the design and production costs.

The invention solves this problem by the subject-matters of the independent claims. Advantageous developments are specified in the dependent claims.

The invention provides a coupling system for a rail vehicle, comprising a coupler with a coupler housing, a contact carrier structure attached to the coupler housing and a plurality of contacts which are mounted on the contact carrier structure and which each have one of a plurality of different functions. According to the invention, the contact carrier structure may be assembled from several separate contact carrier inserts. From the plurality of contacts only those that have the same function are mounted on each of the separate contact carrier inserts.

In a particularly preferred embodiment, the coupler is designed as an electric coupler. Accordingly, the contacts mounted on the contact carrier structure are designed as electric contacts. However, also alternative embodiments are possible, in particular such in which the coupling system comprises an optical coupler with a plurality of optical contacts. In any case, the contacts are designed for the specific technical requirements resulting from the respective use. In the railway area, these requirements relate, for example, to the number of mating cycles as well as to the rough conditions of use encountered there as a result of environmental, shock and vibration effects.

The provision of separate contact carrier inserts favors a modular structure of the coupling system according to a building block principle. By means of this building block principle, in particular standardized connection options are given, by which the design and production costs are considerably reduced. A later modification of the coupling system is likewise possible in an easy and fast manner, since only modules the functionality of which has already been checked in advance have to be exchanged. This is particularly advantageous when the coupler shall be retrofitted taking into account technological developments. In doing so, despite the advantageous structure, the flexibility required by the customer with respect to the transmission function to be realized in his/her specific application is maintained.

The invention enables a considerable reduction of the design and production costs and at the same time guarantees that the required functionality and flexibility are nevertheless maintained for the customer. Insofar, the invention is based on a comprehensive and precise analysis of the signals preferably transmitted in the present technical field. In particular, this analysis forms the basis for the modularization of the coupling system that can be realized by the present invention.

Whenever the present application mentions that the preferably electric or optical contacts have the same or different functions, then this function refers to a signal transmission function, i.e. a function which characterizes the transmission of the electric or optical signals within the coupling system.

Preferably, the separate contact carrier inserts of the coupler, from which the contact carrier structure can be assembled, are formed of functional pairs, each of which comprising two contact carrier inserts, the contacts of which have the same function.

In a particularly preferred embodiment, a fixed mounting position is allocated to each contact carrier insert within the contact carrier structure, which mounting position is predetermined depending on the function of the contacts mounted on this contact carrier insert.

The mounting positions of the contact carrier inserts that form a respective functional pair are preferably arranged mirror-symmetrically with respect to an axis of symmetry that divides the contact carrier structure into two halves. In this case, the contacts of those contact carrier inserts the mounting positions of which are located in one half of the contact carrier structure are designed as pin contacts, while the contacts of those contact carrier inserts the mounting positions of which are located in the other half of the contact carrier structure are designed as socket contacts. The afore-mentioned two halves of the contact carrier structure are in particular allocated to the funnel side and the cone side of the coupler, respectively.

Preferably, the coupling system comprises at least one manual connector which is arranged outside the coupler housing and has several contact inserts with at least one preferably electric or optical contact each, which contact is connectable to one of the contacts of one of the contact carrier inserts. Such a manual connector is, for example, connected to the coupler housing via a protective tube. In the protective tube, preferably electric or optical lines are guided, which extend between the coupler and the manual connector. The manual connector is used for the connection of these lines within the vehicle. In this embodiment, the contact inserts of the manual connector and their contacts on the one hand and the contact carrier inserts and their contacts arranged on the coupler housing on the other hand can be significantly different. In particular, it is possible to design the contact inserts and contacts of the manual connector, which usually must be connected and pulled only very rarely by hand, less robust and generally with less technical effort than the contact carrier inserts and contacts mounted on the coupler housing. The latter are located on the front side of the coupling system facing the exterior and have to survive a high number of mating cycles without damage when coupling and uncoupling two motor train units to a train. During coupling and uncoupling, these contact carrier inserts and contacts are exposed to the exterior for a short period of time and are otherwise protected by a lid or by the coupled counter coupler.

Accordingly, the technical requirements on the contact components located at the front side of the coupling system are considerably higher than on the corresponding components located within the manual connector.

The coupling system may be assembled from several modules that can be mounted independently from one another, each module comprising at least two of the contact carrier inserts that form one of the functional pairs, and at least one of the contact inserts of the manual connector as well as a first, preferably electric or optical connection between the two contact carrier inserts and a second, preferably electric or optical connection between one of the two contact carrier inserts and the contact insert of the manual connector.

In an advantageous embodiment, the electric connection has a first, preferably electric or optical line which couples one of the contacts of the one contact carrier insert to one of the contacts of the other contact carrier insert. Further, the second connection has a second, preferably electric or optical line which couples the afore-mentioned electric contact of the other contact carrier insert to one of the contacts of the contact insert of the manual connector.

In a particularly preferred embodiment, the first and the second line are directly fixed to the contact of the other contact carrier insert.

Each of the contact carrier inserts is mountable on the coupler housing by means of a screw connection.

Preferably, a circumferential coupler sealing is provided which is held between the coupler housing and the contact carrier structure assembled from the contact carrier inserts.

In an advantageous development, at least one holder insert is provided, which is mountable by means of a screw connection to the coupler housing, the coupler sealing being partially held between the holder insert and the coupler housing.

The different functions of the electric contacts mounted on the separate contact carrier inserts preferably include at least one of a digital data transmission, a high-frequency signal transmission, a low-frequency signal transmission and an energy transmission.

The invention further provides a method of producing a coupling system for a rail vehicle, in which the above-mentioned modules are preassembled such that a plurality of different modules is provided, then those modules that correspond to a predetermined target configuration are selected, and finally the selected modules are assembled.

The invention further provides a method of producing a coupling system provided for a rail vehicle, said coupling system having a coupler comprising a coupler housing and a contact carrier structure attached to the coupler housing, and at least one manual connector arranged outside the coupler housing, comprising the following steps: providing separate contact carrier inserts used to form the contact carrier structure, wherein on each of the separate contact carrier inserts, from a plurality of contacts, each of which having one of a plurality of different functions, only those contacts that have the same function are mounted; providing separate contact inserts with at least one contact each and used to form the manual connector; preassembling a plurality of modules, of which each module comprises at least one of the contact carrier inserts, at least one of the contact inserts and a connection between the contact carrier insert and the contact insert; selecting those modules which correspond to a predetermined target configuration of the coupling system; and assembling the selected modules. Here, the afore-mentioned contacts are again preferably designed as electric or optical contacts.

This method makes it possible to configure a coupling system from a limited number of stocked standard components in the form of the afore-mentioned modules. In this way, a special coupling version may be realized in a much shorter time than before. In the end, the only variable is the length of the cable that runs between the contact carrier structure arranged at the coupler housing and the manual connector, and establishes the preferably electric or optical connection for the signal transmission between the contact carrier structure and the manual connector. For each module, the mounting effort is reduced to cut the cable, to de-insulate it, to push-fit it, to install it and to subject it to a final check. All other component parts are available in stock ready to use. Thus, without a large time delay, a replacement coupler may be supplied and a maintenance without time pressure in a rolling process may be performed.

In this way, a coupling system may be manufactured, which is the sum of the individual modules, wherein each of the modules has exactly one defined place within the coupling system, which place is the same in every configuration, and indeed both in the coupler and in the manual connector.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

In the following, the invention is explained in more detail with reference to the Figures.

FIG. 1 shows an electric coupler according to the prior art.

FIG. 2 shows a contact carrier structure of the coupler according to FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 shows an embodiment of the coupling system according to the invention.

FIG. 4 shows a contact carrier structure of the electric coupler shown in FIG. 3.

FIG. 5 shows a perspective sectional view of the electric coupler according to FIG. 3.

FIG. 6 shows a schematic illustration showing an inventive module that can be preassembled and is used for setting up the coupling system according to FIG. 3.

FIG. 7 shows a schematic, partially sectional view for illustrating a double line connection with an electric contact mounted on a separate contact carrier insert; and

FIG. 8 shows a schematic illustration illustrating the module-type set-up of the inventive coupling system.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

In the following and with reference to FIGS. 3 to 8, an electric coupling system 29 is described, which illustrates an inventive development of the solution known from the prior art and illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2. The following description substantially concentrates on such aspects by which the inventive coupling system 29 differs from the previous solution and which are necessary for the understanding of the invention.

The coupling system 29 comprises an electric coupler 30 having a coupler housing 32, at the front side of which a contact carrier structure 34 is attached. The coupling system 29 further includes two manual connectors 36, 38, each of which being coupled to the coupler housing 32 of the electric coupler 30 via a protective tube 40 and 42, respectively.

The inventive structure of the contact carrier structure 34 is illustrated in FIG. 4. In contrast to the prior art illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2, the contact carrier structure 34 is not designed in the form of the one-piece contact carrier 21, but is assembled from several separate contact carrier inserts 44 a, 44 b, 46 a, 46 b, 48 a, 48 b and 50 a, 50 b. The contact carrier structure 34 is enclosed at its both ends by two holder inserts 52 a and 52 b, respectively.

The contact carrier inserts 44 a/b to 50 a/b form functionally separate assemblies to such an extent that in the contact carrier inserts each time only electric contacts having the same transmission function are mounted. The contact carrier inserts 44 a, 44 b each have two contacts 54 a and 54 b, respectively, which are used for the digital data transmission. On the other hand, the contact carrier inserts 46 a, 46 b are each equipped with several contacts 56 a and 56 b, respectively, which are used for the high-frequency signal transmission. The contacts 56 a, 56 b are thus designed e.g. as gold-coated contacts. The respective three contact carrier inserts 48 a and 48 b, respectively, form assemblies having the same function. Thus, each of these contact carrier inserts 48 a, 48 b is equipped with several electric contacts 58 a and 58 b, respectively, which are used for the low-frequency signal transmission. The contacts 58 a, 58 b are, for example, designed as silver-coated contacts. Finally, the contact carrier inserts 50 a, 50 b are each equipped with several electric contacts 60 a and 60 b, respectively, which are used for the energy transmission (electric power transmission).

The electric contacts 54 a, 56 a, 58 a, 60 a, 54 b, 56 b, 58 b, 60 b form a mirror-symmetric contact arrangement with respect to a central axis of symmetry Y dividing the contact carrier structure 34 into two halves. The electric contacts 54 a, 56 a, 58 a and 60 a arranged in the left half of the contact carrier structure 34 in FIG. 4 are designed as plug contacts. On the other hand, the contacts 54 b, 56 b, 58 b and 60 b mounted in the right half of the contact carrier structure 34 are designed as socket contacts. The left and the right side of the contact carrier structure 34 form the cone side and the funnel side, respectively.

FIG. 5 shows a perspective, sectional view of the right half of the contact carrier structure 34 illustrated in FIG. 4. As can be taken from FIG. 5, the coupler 30 has a circumferential coupler sealing 62 that encloses the contact carrier structure 34. The coupler sealing 62 is directly held between the coupler housing 32 and the individual contact carrier inserts 44 a/b to 50 a/b as well as both holder inserts 52 a, 52 b, respectively. Thus, no additional parts are required for positioning the coupler sealing 62, as this is the case in other solutions known from the prior art.

Each of the contact carrier inserts 44 a/b to 50 a/b is directly fixed to the coupler housing 32 by several, e.g. two screws, which engage in associated screw holes 64 (see FIGS. 4 and 5). Thus, also for attaching the separate contact carrier inserts 44 a/b to 50 a/b no further intermediate parts, for example in the form of holding frames and/or strips especially provided for this purpose, are required. As a result, the production and assembly costs are considerably reduced.

In FIG. 6, it is illustrated in a schematic illustration with reference to an example how by means of the inventive division of the contact carrier structure 34 into the separate contact carrier inserts 44 a/b to 50 a/b that are only equipped with electric contacts having the same functions modules may be provided, which can be preassembled and from which the coupling system 29 according to FIG. 3 can be put together in a standardized manner.

In the example shown, such a module is identified with 66 and includes two of the contact carrier inserts 44 a/b to 50 a/b which are identified in FIG. 6 with 68 and 70, respectively, as well as a contact insert 72 which is included in one of the two manual connectors 36, 38 and may be equipped with several electric contacts. The contact carrier insert 68 is located, for example, on the funnel side, and the contact carrier insert 70 is located on the cone side of the contact carrier structure 34. The module 66, which can be preassembled, further comprises two electric lines 74 and 76, of which one line 74 extends between the two contact carrier inserts 68 and 70, and the other line 76 between the contact carrier insert 68 and the contact insert 72 of the manual connector. The line 74 couples an electric contact 78 to be mounted on the contact carrier insert 70 to an electric contact 80 to be mounted on the contact carrier insert 68. On the other hand, the electric line 76 couples the afore-mentioned electric contact 80 with which the contact carrier insert 68 is to be equipped to an electric contact 82 which is to be mounted to the contact insert 72. This means that the two electric lines 74, 76 run together in the manner of a double connection in the electric contact 80 of the contact carrier insert 68, as will be explained still in more detail later with reference to FIG. 7.

The module 66 is designed to realize one of the transmission functions provided in the coupling system 29 such as the digital data transmission, the high-frequency signal transmission, the low-frequency signal transmission or the energy transmission. The module 66 forms one of several standardized assemblies, which each create a unique allocation between the separate contact carrier inserts 44 a/b to 50 a/b forming the contact carrier structure 34 and the contact inserts (e.g. contact insert 72 in FIG. 6) of the manual connectors 36, 38. By providing so different standard modules of the type merely exemplarily illustrated in FIG. 6, the disadvantages encountered in the prior art and which in particular are associated with the construction, the production, the maintenance and the retrofitting of a customer-specific assembly may be avoided.

The inventive modularization also enables the provision of so-called transverse connections between two respective contact carrier inserts included in the contact carrier structure 34 of the coupler 30. In the example according to FIG. 6, such a transverse connection is given by the electric line 74, which couples the two contact carrier inserts 68, 70 to one another. For this, the electric contact 80, which is to be mounted on the contact carrier insert 68, is designed for a double connection of the lines 74, 76, as is shown in more detail in FIG. 7.

For realizing the double connection of the two lines 74, 76, the latter are de-insulated to a length L, i.e. their insulating coating is removed. Thereafter, their conducting wires 84 and 86, respectively, are electrically connected to the contact 80, e.g. crimped, soldered or screwed. Finally, the contact 80 is inserted into a bore 88 formed in the contact carrier insert 68 (see also FIG. 6) and fixed therein.

The inventive direct double connection of the lines 74, 76 in the electric contact 80 may be realized with only little technical effort. In particular, additional components such as a heat-shrinkable tube, as used in conventional solutions, can be done without. These additional components are required in the prior art for insulating the de-coated portions of the lines to meet the required air and creepage distance specifications that are provided for the use in the railway area. In conventional solutions, the crimping point is located outside the contact carrier insert due to the installation space of the contact carrier insert. These additional components are not necessary in the present embodiment, since here, for example, the point of crimping with the conducting wires 84 and 86 is directly located inside the insulating contact carrier insert 68, so that the air and creepage distance specifications are reliably met.

In FIG. 8, once again the inventive modularization of the electric coupling system 29 is illustrated. Here, the contact carrier inserts of the electric coupler 30 are for the sake of simplicity identified with A to F, and the contact inserts of the two manual connectors are identified with a to f The abbreviation EKU-KS stands for the cone side of the coupler 30, the abbreviation EKU-TS stands for the funnel side of the coupler 30, the abbreviation HS-KS stands for the cone side of the respective manual connector, and the abbreviation HS-TS stands for the funnel side of the respective manual connector.

In the example according to FIG. 8, a standard module is formed in that the two contact carrier modules B of the coupler 30 having the same function and the contact insert c of the manual connector 38 are combined to a preassembled functional unit.

The inventive standard module is formed of assemblies, each of which having a predefined place in the coupler 30 and the manual connector 36 and 38, respectively. With reference to the example of FIG. 6, the length of the electric line 74, which connects the two contact carrier inserts 68, 70 to each other, is fixed in a manner that can be standardized. As a variable which must still be defined in a project-specific manner, there is only the length of the electric line 76. As a result, the technical documents for the respective modules may be firmly defined and created and do not have to be created specifically for each and every project. The expenditure for the offer and project-planning phase is thus considerably reduced. There is a significant advantage for the stocking of spare parts both at the manufacturer and at the customer. The invention thus makes it possible for the first time to manufacture a coupling system according to the so-called configured-to-order principle (in short CTO). From the prior art, only solutions are known which work according to the modified-to-order principle (in short MTO) or even according to the designed/developed-to-order principle (in short DTO).

As becomes clear from the above explanations, the mentioned technical advantages result in particular from the circumstances that the inventive coupling system 10 is the sum of individual standard modules, each module having its predefined place within the system. This applies to both the coupler components of the respective standard module provided in the coupler 30 and to the coupler components provided in the respective manual connector 36 and 38, respectively. A further advantage is that such a standard module may be demounted in a non-destructive manner without endangering the function of other modules.

The inventive module concept, which provides the prefabrication of individual standard modules, moreover makes it possible to design the coupler housing 32 of the coupler 30 in a one-piece form. As a result, less individual component parts and connecting elements are required, this resulting in a lower number of interfaces to be sealed. This makes the sealing concept and the machining of the individual component parts easier. On the other hand, the coupler housing known from the prior art is designed in several parts with a removable lid on the housing back.

The invention is not restricted to the above-described embodiments. The described embodiments are directed to an electric coupling system which provides the transmission of electric signals between the coupler 30 and the manual connectors 36, 38. The invention is, however, likewise applicable to an optical coupling system in which optical signals are transmitted. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A coupling system for a rail vehicle, comprising a coupler a coupler housing, a contact carrier structure to the coupler housing, and a plurality of contacts which are mounted on the contact carrier structure and which each have one of a plurality of different functions, characterized in that the contact carrier structure can be assembled from several separate contact carrier inserts, and on each of the separate contact carrier inserts from the plurality of contacts only those that have the same function are mounted.
 2. The coupling system according to claim 1, characterized in that the coupler is an electric or optical coupler, and that the contacts are electric or optical contacts.
 3. The coupling system according to claim 1, characterized in that the separate contact carrier inserts from which the contact carrier structure can be assembled, are formed of functional pairs which each comprise two contact carrier inserts, the contacts of which have the same function.
 4. The coupling system according to claim 1, characterized in that within the contact carrier structure a fixed mounting position is allocated to each contact carrier insert, which mounting position is predetermined depending on the function which the contacts mounted on this contact carrier insert have.
 5. The coupling system according to claim 3, characterized in that the mounting positions of the contact carrier inserts that form a respective functional pair are arranged mirror-symmetrically to an axis of symmetry (Y) dividing the contact carrier structure in two halves.
 6. The coupling system according to claim 5, characterized in that the contacts of those contact carrier inserts the mounting positions of which are located in the one half of the contact carrier structure are designed as pin contacts, and that the contacts of those contact carrier inserts the mounting positions of which are located in the other half of the contact carrier structure are designed as socket contacts.
 7. The coupling system according to claim 1, characterized by at least one manual connector which is arranged outside the coupler housing and has several contact inserts with each time at least one preferably electric or optical contact which is connectable to one of the contacts of one of the contact carrier inserts
 8. The coupling system according to claim 7, characterized in that it can be assembled from several modules which are mountable independently from one another, each module comprising at least two of the contact carrier inserts that form a functional pair, and at least one of the contact inserts of the manual connector as well as a first, preferably electric or optical connection between the two contact carrier inserts and a second, preferably electric or optical connection between one of the two contact carrier inserts and the contact insert of the manual connector.
 9. A The coupling system according to claim 8, characterized in that the first connection has a first, preferably electric or optical line which couples one of the contacts of the one contact carrier insert to one of the contacts of the other contact carrier insert, and that the second connection has a second, preferably electric or optical line which couples the afore-mentioned contact of the other contact carrier insert to one of the contacts of the contact insert of the manual connector.
 10. The coupling system according to claim 9, characterized in that the first line and the second line are directly fixed to the contact of the other contact carrier insert.
 11. The coupling system according to claim 1, characterized in that each of the contact carrier inserts is mountable on the coupler housing via a screw connection.
 12. The coupling system according to claim 1, characterized by a circumferential coupler sealing which is held between the coupler housing and the contact carrier structure assembled from the contact carrier inserts.
 13. The coupling system according to claim 12, characterized by at least one holder insert which is mountable on the coupler housing by means of a screw connection, the coupler sealing being partially held between the holder insert and the coupler housing.
 14. The coupling system according to claim 1, characterized in that the different functions of the electric contacts mounted on the separate contact carrier inserts include at least one of a digital data transmission, a high-frequency signal transmission, a low-frequency signal transmission and an energy transmission.
 15. A method of manufacturing a coupling system for a rail vehicle according to claim 8, comprising the following steps: preassembling the modules such that a plurality of different modules is provided, selecting those modules that correspond to a predetermined target configuration, and assembling the selected modules.
 16. A method of manufacturing a coupling system provided for a rail vehicle, said coupling system comprising a coupler having a coupler housing and a contact carrier structure attached to the coupler housing, and at least one manual connector that is arranged outside the coupler housing, comprising the following steps: providing separate contact carrier inserts used to form the contact carrier structure, wherein on every of the separate contact carrier inserts from a plurality of contacts which each have one of a plurality of different functions only those contacts that have the same function are mounted, providing separate contact inserts used to form the manual connector and having at least one contact each, preassembling a plurality of modules, of which each module comprises at least one of the contact carrier inserts, at least one of the contact inserts and a connection between the contact carrier insert and the contact insert, selecting those modules which correspond to a predetermined target configuration of the coupling system, and assembling the selected modules.
 17. The method according to claim 16, wherein each module is preassembled such that it comprises at least two of the contact carrier inserts that form a functional pair and the contacts of which have the same function, and that a connection between the two contact carrier inserts is provided. 